Circulation of the Light and Tao Te Ching (3) – Use this light

Scholars, sinologists, and translators who can read classical Chinese often try to figure out the meanings of what Laozi had wanted to say in the Tao Te Ching. It is good of the able – if they are so capable - to also translate this ancient Chinese classic into other languages for others to enjoy and read.

Since the Tao Te Ching is acknowledged as profound, what with generations of eminent Chinese philosophers and scholars trying their utmost to decipher it and yet few translations – if any – would catch the entire gist of what the great ancient sage Laozi had actually taught.

Therefore now and then one has to put in some extra effort to make a simple and succinct translation of a particular chapter which could have much relevance to the Circulation of the Light practice. Whether or not readers can discern the subtlety in such a translation would depend on their own levels of cultivation. Since probably only the top scholars of Tao – those who have had already immersed themselves in the practice - could possess the clarity to get to the true meanings of what Laozi had had said.

Take for example Chapter 52 of the Tao Te Ching of which a simple translation is provided:

Chapter 52

All under heaven have a beginning that has a mother.

Knowing this mother, the child is known.

Return to guard this mother, immerse self no danger.

Close the mouth; block the openings, no self-exhaustion at the end.

Open the mouth, numerous affairs, end result: no salvation.

See small for clarity, guard weak for strength.

Use this light. Return leads to enlightenment.

This would avoid self calamity. And the correct practice for the eternal.

[Translated by Allan Lian]

The specific term of ‘All under heaven’ (Tian Xia) invariably used by both Laozi and Confucius in their respective teachings is maintained. Since ‘All under heaven’ can mean a state, China, the world, Earth, and/or the universe(s). This particular term also has much relevance to Yijing scholars and diviners especially where local and/or global omens have been received.

In writing this particular chapter, Laozi had had provided several hints and guidance to scholars on how to proceed further with the Circulation of the Light practice. That is why his Tao is very easy to know and very easy to learn for scholars worth their salt or for the Worthies.

And penetrating (tong) this chapter 52 and/or the ancient classics could be something like this:

The Holy Sages who wrote the Book of Changes wanting to be very thorough investigated things back to their beginning or origin. The Great Learning – in line with what these ancients taught - teach students the various steps on how to investigate things back to their beginning.

Adhering to this type of investigation and according to Laozi, to know the mother is to know the child and therefore the beginning of all under heaven - Verses 1 and 2.

The remaining six verses of Chapter 52 provide hints and guidance on what to avoid and what to do to know this mother. And the correct practice for the eternal is by taking the stated right actions.

Closing the mouth and blocking the openings would provide a good start to learn how to breathe like an infant again. In the return to guard this mother, there is no danger in immersing self as an infant. (Refer to the July 2013 article on the Circulation of the Light and Chapter 55 for additional information.)

Open the mouth and by revealing too much would bring about numerous unnecessary worldly entanglements which result in no salvation - also refer to the third line of Hexagram 1 Qian and the commentary on it to understand the implications.

Seeing the small aid clarity in case they are missed, guard the weak to progressively strengthen it.

If the youthful American student of a Quanzhen temple in China still reads my blog while in Tokyo, this chapter substantiates my hint of what to do with the Light as a parting gift to him in TaoBums, a few years ago.

Because once a scholar of Tao possesses the ability to see the Light, he or she has to learn how to use it. As indicated before in a previous article, the experiential ability to see the light while elementary is fundamental to the entire Circulation of the Light practice.

To use this light is another step towards the Return which leads to enlightenment - Verse 7 - and to avoid self calamity. While the Buddha had had taught his disciples to investigate the light – as recorded in the Shurangama Sutra, Laozi had several decades earlier already revealed one step further on what to do with it; that is to use this light.

By also teaching how to investigate things back to their beginning, the three great ancient sages – Laozi, Confucius and the Buddha - are in accord with the established order of the Holy Sages.

If scholars of Tao - whether they are taught by real or fake masters, or are self-taught - still have not achieved the abilities to see and to use this light after several years or decades of practice, it could be time to stop. Failing which they could fall into delusions and/or use bypaths in futility to achieve the Way.

The hints on what to do with this light provided by both Laozi and the Buddha are true. However, only the top scholars of Tao who have had witnessed the eternal signposts of the Way will be able to substantiate the truth.

Therefore use this light!


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Circulation of the Light and I Ching (2)

The ancient Circulation of the Light – as taught in the Secret of the Golden Flower - and its relationship with the Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing) can be explained in brief thus:

“The work on the circulation of the light depends entirely on the backward-flowing movement, so that the thoughts are gathered together. The heavenly heart lies between sun and moon.”

“Master Lu-tsu said, since when has the expression ‘circulation of the light’ been revealed? It was revealed by the ‘True Man of the Beginning of Form’ (Guan Yinshi). When the light is made to move in a circle, all the energies of heaven and earth, of the light and the dark, are crystallized.” [The Secret of the Golden Flower of Lu Dongbin as translated by Wilhelm / Baynes]

The Judgment in Hexagram Fu / Return contains the term, “To and fro goes the Way (Tao)” while the first verse of Chapter 40 in the Tao Te Ching says: “Return is the movement of the Way”.

The following paragraphs explain the terms: the backward flow movement and the Circulation of the Light. And what are depicted in the accompanying picture - [the picture is scanned from the book, “Tai Chi Chuan and I Ching – Second Edition – by Da Liu, 1981 R&KP].

The picture tells the profound story of how the Light circulates together with the Qi where from the bottom they progress up the back of the body to the top of the head before their descent down the front making a full circle or an orbit.

For Hexagram #24 Fu / Return represents the start of the waxing of the moon reaching Full Moon at Hexagram #1 Qian / The Creative Heaven while Hexagram #44 Gou / Coming to Meet represents the first waning phase of the moon and ends with the New Moon at Hexagram #2 Kun / The Receptive Earth. And the Circulation continues to complete a full circle or an orbit.

Therefore the Circulation of the Light crystallizes all the energies of heaven and earth and of the light and the dark – represented respectively by Qian and Kun and the lines of the twelve sovereign hexagrams.

This is the correct way to practise neidan (inner alchemy) meditation – the Circulation of the Light - for the return to Tao. For neidan practitioners would then be practising the Way of Heaven that of the Light and the Dark - as indicated in the ancient method of the Holy Sages who wrote the Book of Changes.

While it is profound, ancient neidan meditation follows that of nature (ziran) and can - more often than not – be supported by science. For once an orbit has been duly completed - similar to the eight planets orbiting our Sun - the Light together with the Qi continues its natural circulation course over the duration of the meditation.

Those already with good aptitude – having receiving confirmatory sign(s) according to Lu Dongbin in his Secret of the Golden Flower – in the Circulation of the Light would have to acquire the profound ability to ignite the fire in the furnace to cook the medicine - represented by Kan (Moon) and Li (Sun) - in the cauldron (as depicted in the centre of the body in the picture). This ability to ignite the fire in the furnace is another major eternal signpost of the Way that would appear naturally (ziran).


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Hongmen heroes and/or Yijing dragons

Heroes or dragons are exceptional leaders in their fields of study and of action. Down the ages, heroes come from all walks of life and sizes. They invariably displayed benevolence (Ren) and righteousness (Yi) - the Way of Man. And they had leavened their admirers or followers to bring out the good in human nature (Xing).

The original heroes of Hongmen (Red Gate) including Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Zhang Liang, Fan Zeng and Fan Kuai were from various classes and had very little means. Yet they had banded together to fight as rebels for the common good against the enormous and well trained army of the tyrant Shih Huangdi, more than two thousand years ago, eventually overthrowing the mighty but short lived Qin Dynasty. Their exemplary legacy – which accorded with Mencius’ thoughts - inspired many later generations of Chinese to revolt against inhumane and unjust rulers who had had treated the people worse than animals.

If readers had done their homework on Hexagram 1 Qian they would know which one of the six lines in the hexagram depicts heroes and sages. As to whether or not heroes can ascend to the ranks of sages would by and large depend on their continuity of cultivation and actions (practices) in accord with established order, and their destiny – since the chances of such ascendancy are forever so slim.

Sages Jiang Ziya (Taigong), King Wen, Duke Tan of Zhou (Zhougong), Laozi, Confucius, and Mencius count among the ancient dragons whose related respective works on the Book of Changes (Yijing) have had influenced millions of the learned and wise Yijing aficionados down the millennia. Heroes Wei Boyang, Zhang Boduan (Ziyang), Chen Tuan, Shao Yong, Zhou Dunyi, and Zhu Xi are among the better known dragons who were versed with the Yijing with some becoming Daoist celestial immortals because of their further cultivation as taught in the Book of Changes, in Jiang Taigong’ Yin Fu Ching, and in Laozi’ Tao Te Ching.

Hexagram 1 Qian / The Creative Heaven and Hexagram 2 Kun / The Receptive Earth in the Book of Changes defines the subtle differences between real and false dragons respectively. False dragons or charlatans abound on the Web. These fakes who claim several decades of divination experience - and upon scrutiny - often provide incorrect and/or incomplete interpretations of published Yijing prognostications. Yet they unabashedly proceed to teach students or set New Age rules for ancient divination and/or write books on the Yijing.

Compared to the false dragons, real dragons have professional integrity and can be relied upon by students and their followers. They practise the Way of Man by bringing to light - or exposing - the fakes and publicly shaming them in their reviews and/or commentaries on the Web. Their honesty and in-depth knowledge show through in their books, reviews, translations, and/or articles on the Book of Changes, on ancient Chinese philosophy, and on Chinese culture. They would provide references and source citations for further study and research. Like the ancients, almost all of these are done for free and probably for the love of the Book of Changes. To students who have affinity with them, these dragons may reveal a profound thing or two.

And because of their display of integrity on the World Wide Web, I would like to recommend them to students of the Book of Changes and/or of ancient Chinese philosophy.

Among the heroes or dragons I have the honor to communicate with over the years is Steve J Marshall. What he has written and embedded in his YijingDao website will augment many a student’s Book of Changes studies. Students reading his reviews on Yijing related books and translations will not only increase their knowledge, it will save them from wasting time and money on the wrong books. Those interested in knowing something more on the historical Yijing-related events that had occurred before King Wu’s conquest of the Shang and in things Chinese should read his well researched book, ‘The Mandate of Heaven’.

Another hero or dragon I have the honor to communicate with although recently is Steve Moore also of the U.K. Steve Moore is the author of ‘The Trigrams of Han’. Thanks to his translation of the Ma Qian Ke, I have come to know that the ‘Sleeping Dragon’ Zhuge Liang is also a Wu (Magician / Yijing diviner) and not just only a Shi (Daoist priest / neidan adept); a Daoist celestial immortal, and a sage. Steve Moore’s in-depth knowledge of the Book of Changes shows through with his Yijing or divination related books reviews. Read his recent review on the Shen Su, also made available on the YijingDao website, for a good example on how the false is brought to light and shamed – depicting the practice of righteousness (Yi).

My recommendations would be incomplete if they do not include some heroes or dragons from China. Of those who have written and published articles on the Center for Zhouyi website, I have discerned two whom I consider dragons.

The first of the two dragons is Professor Liu Dajun, the departmental head of Ancient Chinese Philosophy in the Shandong University, China. His in-depth knowledge of things ancient and his humility shines through in his well written articles and commentaries; qualities of which students are well advised to emulate. Professor Liu is acknowledged by his global peers as a leader in his field of study and action.

The second dragon in China may not appear so to experts and scholars of Ancient Chinese Philosophy unless they are discerning and thorough enough. He is none other than Professor Tang YiJie of Shandong and Beijing Universities. In his one and only published article (code 330) on ‘Yi is what the Dao of heaven and that of human’ on the Center for Zhouyi website, he displayed his thoroughness and in-depth knowledge of ancient Chinese philosophy. Since he has had articulated his understanding of the four Confucian books and five ancient classics – which include the Book of Changes; the Buddhist scriptures; and the cardinal virtues (including the hidden one) so much better than me to uphold his contention that Zhuangzi knows Heaven but not that of Earth (and of Human), it would be remiss of me not to recommend this dragon to students. In reading his article, students will appreciate the importance of thoroughness in their studies of the Yijing and of ancient Chinese philosophy.

Among those of note who are aspiring dragons would be Professor Fabrizio Predagio of Stanford University USA whom I also have the honor to discuss with on the subject of Chinese inner alchemy. With his scholarly knowledge acquired through several years of dedication on the profound subject, his recent translations on Daoist inner alchemy texts can be relied upon.

Harmen Mesker of the Netherlands is also an aspiring dragon. He has written two Yijing related books in Dutch - one at an early age - and has quite a following in his home country. His etymology knowledge of the Book of Changes has grown by leaps and bounds over the past several years and his articles are worth reading. Since his fact findings and discovery of the meaning behind a classical Chinese word usage in the Book of Changes sometimes even astound Yijing experts and scholars. Also read his reviews on Chinese divination-related books and learn to differentiate between correct and wrong practices.

If Yijing aficionados diligently study the Book of Changes and put in the proverbial extra mile we may one day become heroes or dragons like the aforementioned ancient sages, Neo Daoists, and Neo Confucians. The sincerity and integrity displayed in their Yijing related texts or writings have had withstood close scrutiny through the passage of time. If we do not practise the art of Yi divination and the science of interpretation, we can never become a Yijing hero because our studies would not be complete and thorough enough.

Since we have the affinity to ‘barge into Hongmen’ to read the Yijing with the hope of becoming heroes, can we also not put in the extra efforts to cultivate our human nature (Xing) to bring out the good therein in order to master our own fate (Ming)? Is this not another one of the purposes of reading the Yijing? Therefore do not miss the woods for the trees again, and again!


Cheerio!

Heroes of Hongmen

Whether or not we know the significance when we first started to read the Book of Changes after all these years let me tell Yijing aficionados an inspiring story they may like to keep in their bosoms for the rest of their lives. Good.

After almost twenty years of studying the Book of Changes I have had an affinity with and the opportunity to ask a Quanzhen celestial immortal in 1993 to teach me how to read the Yijing. His first remark in Chinese (and translated into pinyin), ‘Qiang Qing Hongmen Kan Yijing’, still astounded me until recently. The divinity continued his teaching with six cryptic messages which have already been blogged and discussed six years ago.

His remark ‘Qiang Qing Hongmen Kan Yijing’ could literally be translated into English as ‘Barging into Red Gate to read the Book of Changes’. Whether or not this remark equally applies to all Yijing aficionados by and large will depend on their own studies and actions. Therefore do not jump into conclusions.

Why would I be barging into Hongmen (Red Gate) - a city in China - to read the Yijing? I did not know the actual reasons for it until twenty years later (1993 to 2012)! That’s why I am a slow learner who often falls behind in Yijing and in ancient Chinese philosophy studies.

The ‘Red Gate Feast’ or ‘Hongmen Yan’ in pinyin relates to heroes for the discerning. The young, middle age and old all look up to heroes; the more popular and exemplary the heroes the better. Hero Guan Gong (the God of War) is best known for his righteousness (Yi) while hero Zhuge Liang is admired for his foreknowledge and profound strategies. Florence Nightingale and Mother Teresa of Calcutta are best known for their caring attitude and kindness (Ren) to all. And therefore are heroes to nurses. Yijing aficionados with sincerity and integrity can also be heroes, if they have never known or thought about it until reading up on this article.

While the Triads and Chinese masonry prefer and invariably copy the later and more romantic version of the Hongmen Yan - the swearing of brotherhood, of serving the state and saving people, and of following the Way of Man (Ren Yi) by the three famous heroes: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei in the Peach Garden - and the naming of senior triad leaders after the five tiger generals of Shu Han; the original and actual Hongmen Yan is a real historical event.

To know what the Hongmen Yan is all about, let us go back two thousand two hundred years to its history as recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), shall we?

During the popular uprising against the Qin Dynasty (c 207 BC) and after Liu Bang had captured the Qin capital Xianyang for the rebels, Xiang Yu invited him to a feast at Hongmen (Red Gate) on the pretense of celebrating the historic capture. Instead Xiang Yu had planned to kill Liu Bang during the feast; as advised by his brilliant strategist, Fan Zeng who had foreseen Liu Bang’s ascendancy, and based on received information from a traitor that Liu Bang had intended to name himself, King of Guanzhong – a title so promised by Xiang Yu for the first rebel chief to capture Xianyang. Unknown to Xiang Yu, his uncle Xiang Bo who knew about the vile scheme and fearing for the safety of his friend, Zhang Liang – the renowned strategist of Liu Bang – he decided to warn Zhang not to attend the Hongmen Feast (Yan). Zhang Liang then prepared counter strategies for Liu Bang before attending the feast at Hongmen. At the feast, Liu Bang managed to convince Xiang Yu that he had no intention to mutiny but Fan Zeng on his own account still proceeded with the murderous plan. His plan to kill Liu Bang via a sword dance fell through due to the intervention of Xiang Bo, Fan Kuai (a general of Liu Bang), and Zhang Liang. Liu Bang finally managed to escape back to his own camp. Thereafter the traitor in Liu Bang’s camp was executed.

After a few years of contention, Xiang Yu worsted by Liu Bang with the help of his best general, Han Hsin and the strategies of Zhang Liang, took his own life. Liu Bang went on to establish the Han Dynasty.

Those who had attended the feast at Hongmen were heroes. To the populace, both Xiang Yu and Liu Bang were great heroes since they had had ended the tyrannical rule of Qin. The people of China had suffered immensely under the rule of Qin Shih Huangdi (the first emperor of Qin - and not the first emperor of China as many overwhelmed history teachers in the world would tend to believe), so much so that even Zhang Liang has had impoverished his own family by selling assets and using the money to hire assassins hoping to kill the tyrant. By ending the sufferings of the people and by giving them hope, these heroes had followed the Way of Man (benevolence and righteousness – Ren Yi). Perhaps, for this reason many elder Chinese today still refer to themselves as Han people.

If you are a sincere Yijing aficionado who has integrity, you can also be a hero and/or a dragon. Sincerity is required because it is a Way of Heaven and integrity is a must in order not to mislead admirers, followers, and/or students. By following the Way of Man, you would be kind and righteous like the heroes of Hongmen. There are many ways to display kindness and justice – refer to the examples of Guan Gong, Zhuge Liang, Florence Nightingale, and Mother Teresa - more of which will be discussed in my follow up article on dragons and current heroes of the Yijing and/or ancient Chinese philosophy on the Web.

Meanwhile you can do yourself a favor by reading up on Hexagram 1 Qian / The Creative Heaven – using the Wilhelm / Baynes translation - to learn more about dragons and heroes. And to deepen your Yijing studies.

Hexagram No: 1 Qian / The Creative, Heaven

Dragon has to hide
Since time is not on his side
Ready this worthy will not lag
When it’s time to act

Dragon appearing in the field
While acting with zeal
The Junzi will thrive
Onlookers enlivened with life

Seriousness of purpose even in leisure
People influenced by his nature
Creative during day and concern at night, he paces
Leaving integrity and reliability traces

Wavering in flight
Over the depths; what’s with this light?
Wither a hero or a holy sage
Decision time for the mage

Flying in the heavens
World peace this dragon leavens
Clouds choose to follow him
Onlookers blessed on seeing this celestial limb

Arrogant dragon plunges during flight
For overreaching via the light
Perchance he escapes intact with his life
Humiliation and misfortune filled with strife

Celestial dragons have no head
Cause sages and immortals know which Way to tread
For millennia the divine leaven
While mounting the six steps or dragons to heaven


Allan Lian

Arrogant dragon has cause to repent

Often when people have met some success in their endeavors in business, stock trading or even war, they tend to think they can be the next Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Sunzi of their respective country. They presumed that making money in businesses or investments will always remain easy without taking into account of time cycles – changes.

Only the more experienced and the wise would understand and can handle unexpected changes in cyclical up-markets or downturns, since they would not be unduly confident about the markets (and war zones), notwithstanding the wildly conflicting scenarios painted by those with vested interests – politicians and rulers, analysts and experts. The more experienced and the wise would always put their heads down and continue to slog through the good and bad times. Most have seen it before.

Perhaps without the necessary experience and wisdom, Yi students when they are ready can often learn the age old wisdoms contained in the Zhou Book of Changes, many of which remain applicable not only till today but for centuries (dare I say thousands of years) to come. On the assumption that the Master referred to in the Wen Yen (Seventh Wing) of the Zhouyi was Confucius, his comments made 2,500 years ago still carry relevance to the troubles of mankind because human nature has not changed. Take for example his relevant comments on the top line of Qian / The Creative Heaven.

Nine at the top means:

Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.

The Master said: He who is noble and has no corresponding position, he who stands high and has no following, he who has able people under him who do not have his support, that man will have cause for regret at every turn.

Arrogance means that one knows how to press forward but not how to draw back, that one knows existence but not annihilation, knows something about winning but nothing about losing.

It is only the holy man who understands how to press forward and how to draw back, who knows existence and annihilation as well, without losing his true nature. The holy man alone can do this.
[W/B Book III]


If you ever find yourself facing such cyclical changes, do not presume you know how markets or situations in war zones will swing. No one knows except the divinities (ShenXian and the Yi). Man can plan but Heaven ‘ordains’.

Instead of being modest about their various successes, many of the ‘arrogant dragons’ presumed that they have become ‘masters of the universe’ have fallen by the wayside. (Think of rulers, failed high flyers and business tycoons of your country down the ages.) No wonder, the ancient holy sages devoted a Hexagram in the Yi to the virtue of Q’ian / Modesty and various other hexagrams to help guide the Chinese through the millennia.

But still, many of the ‘dragons’ presumed that they know more about changes and Tao than the ancient Book of Changes. After all to many, it is just a book of oracles, and not that of wisdom? If only they truly know. Then perhaps they may not become an arrogant dragon and has cause to repent.

A wisp of smoke

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index finally broke its all time high of 1,332 set in the first week of January 1994. The KLCI reached an intra day high of 1,334.44 yesterday. Hurray! Slow coach! Most of the Asian and South East Asian stock markets had already broken their all time highs a year or two ago. There is still a lot of catching up to do before the KLSE is at par with the other Asian markets. The big US funds have just started to take notice, which underpin my expectations of a super bull run in 2007.

As indicated last week, while the KLCI has broken its all time high, profit taking and stale bull selling have also taken place. Traders and retailers for whatever reasons who chose to wait for higher gains or had chased shares saw prices of their speculative (low and second liner) stocks fall 15 to 20% from their twelve months highs, some registered last week. The wisp of smoke had disappeared with some money forgone, if they had not taken profits. If they had not treaded with caution as advised, those who chased shares may now be caught at higher levels.

The battle between the bulls and the bears in the KLSE has just begun.

The dragon will just watch from the sidelines as always, waiting for the right time to join in the fray. For the Yi cautions in the third line of Qian :

“All day long the superior man is creatively active. At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares. Danger. No blame.”

Is there ever no concern that the shares sold will go sky high? Is there no temptation to buy back the shares at a lower price? Is there no necessity to do homework and watch the battles? Of course there is. It is proper conduct of a Junzi to be beset with cares. But since the annual Yi chart has been and is accurate, there is no reason not to follow its timing to ride the ups and downs of shares in the KLSE.

A word of advice to Malaysians who follow the annual chart(s) of a Buddhist monk based in the south of peninsular Malaysia. While his chart written in Chinese seems based on the Yi and other methods of divination, the predictions on market timing are usually accurate for the first few months of the calendar year. Do not rely too heavily on his predictions on good and bad trading days for the market. You can get burn. However his predictions on which sectors to buy can be worth looking at from time to time especially during a bull run, if you have run out of ideas on what stocks to invest in.

One also like this sentence from the analyst who writes for The Star on the KLCI Futures Market today after the spot month futures touched an all time high of 1,338.50 yesterday:
“The cautious bulls are usually nervous on a technically overbought ‘new-moon’ day.”

Does it not show that he knows a bit of Chinese culture? One wonders if he knows the significance of new moons and full moons that can at times affect markets, but he is definitely discerning. If we want to learn the Yi and the Tao, we need to know the timing for firmness and flexibility as they play an important part in major Chinese businesses; deals; trades; and cycles.

For those who had taken their profits and sitting on a huge pile of cash, the timing is entirely up to you on when you want to buyback or buy other low and second liner shares. You can start to buy if you think the shares are cheap enough. Do not look for me to tell you when it is the cheapest. I truly do not know. From my limited experience of thirty odd years in shares trading with the Yi, no one really knows the lowest or highest possible price of a share, unless they have seen it, or have a ‘third eye’.

But one can tell readers in a later entry, based on the Yi chart, when the low and second liners will start to rebound after the falls.

Cheerio!